RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Evolving patient preferences as well as an expanding evidence base for commonly used complementary and alternative medicine therapies for patients with cancer have led to inroads by integrative medicine into clinical oncology. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in conjunction with conventional biomedicine in the prevention and treatment of cancer in China for several decades. METHODS: The authors, through select review of the existing literature and by drawing on clinical experience, describe a person-centered approach to care of patients with cancer that incorporates TCM concepts and techniques. Two cases are used to illustrate how this approach might address unmet needs and enhance quality of life for patients with cancer. RESULTS: TCM's emphasis on a comprehensive understanding of imbalance in various systems and resultant compromise of homeostatic reserve as well as its ability to treat them with distinctive therapeutic modalities can add unique value to the overall management of the patient with cancer. CONCLUSIONS: TCM can be used adjunctively to improve quality of life and functional status during a patient's struggle with cancer. An approach integrating both medicines that is guided by scientific evidence, safety, and patient preferences has the potential to improve modern oncologic care.
Assuntos
Terapias Complementares/métodos , Medicina Tradicional Chinesa/métodos , Neoplasias/terapia , Cuidados Paliativos/métodos , Planejamento de Assistência ao Paciente , Assistência Centrada no Paciente , Centros Médicos Acadêmicos , Idoso , California , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Neoplasias/mortalidade , Neoplasias/patologia , Satisfação do Paciente , Prognóstico , Medição de Risco , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Análise de SobrevidaRESUMO
Over the last several years, many medical schools and residencies have introduced complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into their curricula, prompting a discussion as to how CAM should be taught. In this paper, we share our experiences teaching medical trainees integrative East-West medicine, an approach to health and disease that brings together modern Western and Chinese medicine. A 2-week clinical rotation that is intimately tied to our busy clinical program is described in detail as we explore some of the challenges and opportunities involved in teaching a CAM-related field to medical trainees. We also demonstrate how such a clinical experience offers an opportunity to impart on our students a broad view of medicine and to discuss novel approaches to clinical problem-solving.
